Composite plank



Aug. 31, 1937. 5 D. CODDINGTON 2,091,750

' COMPOSITE PLANK Y Original Filed Sept. 3, 1935 EdwiwllCoddizyionPatented Aug. 31, 1937 COMPOSITE PLANK Original application September 3,1935, Serial No. 39,029. Divided and this application March 2,

1936, Serial No. 66,754

2 Claims.

- stresses but having the advantage of being fire proof. Thisapplication is a division of my application Serial No. 39,029, filedSeptember 3, 1935] Planks of the herein construction are designed forfloors and an object of the invention is the provision of a compositemetallic and cementitious plank in which tension is resisted by themetal part and compression by the cementitious portion, the plank havinga nail-penetrable metal sheathed tongue bordering its edges.

Other objects will appear as the following description of anembodimentof the invention proceeds. In the drawing which accompanies and forms apart of this specification, and throughout the several figures thereofand in such specification, the same characters of reference have beenemployed to designate identical parts.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a composite metallic and cementitiousplank having nailpenetrable tongues secured to a beam and made inaccordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section through the beam and one of theplanks shown in Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken along the broken line 33 ofFig. 2.

Figures 1 to 3 inclusive illustrate a form of the invention in whichcomposite metallic and cementitious planks are provided, Figure 1showing a constructionembodying such planks. The numeral It represents asheet metal trough hav ing a length equal to that of the plank. Troughl6 has a flat bottom I! with side flanges l8 bent inwardly as at l9 toform channels. Extending longitudinally along the inside of the bottomI! and suitably secured thereto by welding or otherwise are metallicmembers 20 preferably V- shaped. The trough I 6 is filled with a bodyofcementitious material such as shown and is molded with a depth greaterthan that of the tongues formed by the flanges l8. The cementitious massinterdigitates with the reinforcing members 20 and fills the V-shapedgrooves. Thus the cementitious material is integrally keyed to thebottom of the trough and metallic sheathed tongues are formed along thelateral edges of the plank, the tongues being nail-penetrable.

Figure 1 illustrates a pair of planks resting upon a beam 2! with theirtongues abutting and being secured in place by nails 22 driven throughsaid tongues. The channel formed by said tongues and in the bottom ofwhich the nails are driven is filled with a layer 23 of mortar orcement, the surface of which is flush with the surface of the planks.

It is obvious that when subjected to bending stress, the tension istaken up by the sheet metal at the bottom of the trough and by thereinforcing members, while compression stresses are resisted by thecementitious material.

A construction, such as is shown in Figure 1 may be used in thefabrication of walls, floors, or roofs, and in connection with the beamconstruction illustrated in the first three figures, it enables thefabrication of an entire building from cementitious and metal unitswithout the use of inflammable materials. Such a structure rendersunnecessary the use of. any finishing material except that which may bedesired for interior or exterior decoration, as for example paint.

I claim:

1. A prefabricated concrete plank comprising a shallow flat bottomedsheet metal trough having side flanges bent inwardly and formingchannels, metallic reinforcing elements bent into grooved cross-sectionextending longitudinally of the bottom of said'trough and secured uponthe inside of said bottom, and a body of nailable cementitious materialin said trough interdigitating with said reinforcing elements andfilling their grooves, said reinforcing elements forming metal sheathedtongues of cementitious material projecting from the sides of said plankand the plank being of greater thickness than the tongues.

2. A prefabricated plank as described in claim 1 in which thereinforcing elements are of V-cross section and secured at their apicesto the inner face of the bottom of the trough, and in which the tonguesextend in a plane with the bottom of the plank.

EDWIN D. CODDINGTON.

